The invention relates to photography and photographic cameras and equipment and more particularly relates to a camera having shared optics for optical viewfinding and for electronic capture and display.
Cameras have long been available that rearrange light paths by moving a reflector. Single lens reflex cameras operate on this principle, using a mirror as a movable reflector. Other cameras have been disclosed that rearrange light paths using a prism rather than a mirror.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,420,773 and 5,099,265 disclose cameras having an electronic-optical viewfinder in which a mirror is moved to a first position to direct light straight through an optical viewfinder and to a second position to redirect light from an internal display to the viewfinder eyepiece. These cameras have separate optical systems for image capture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,553 discloses a camera in which a prism is moved to between a first position directing light to an eyepiece and second position, in which the movable prism is out of the light path and the light is directed to an electronic imager. Images captured by the electronic imager can be shown on a display on the outside of the camera This patent shares some optics, but does not utilize an internal display.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,005,955 and 5,034,763 disclose optical systems for real image viewfinders.
It would thus be desirable to provide an improved camera in which optical viewfinding and electronic image capture and display share optical components.
The invention is defined by the claims. The invention, in its broader aspects, provides an optical and electronic viewer of a camera that has a body having entrance and exit openings and entrance and exit tunnels extending inward from respective openings. The body has a cross tunnel connecting the entrance and exit tunnels. An eyepiece is mounted at the exit opening and defines an eyepiece axis. An objective lens is mounted at the entrance opening and defines an objective axis. An electronic imager is disposed within the body, in optical alignment with the objective lens. A microdisplay is mounted in the exit tunnel interior to the eyepiece. First and second reflectors are disposed in the cross tunnel. The reflectors are aligned and are each movable, within the cross tunnel, between an optical-viewing position and a non-viewing position. The first reflector is aligned with the objective axis and the second reflector is aligned with the eyepiece axis in optical-viewing position. The reflectors are spaced from the axes and each other in non-viewing position.
It is an advantageous effect of the invention that an improved camera is provided, in which optical viewfinding and electronic image capture and display share optical components.